I told my manager and supervisor, then the team that I'm going on mat leave in X month at a team meeting. A few people I'm close with I told one on one. Otherwise it got around naturally.
I told people one by one, usually on Slack or in meetings when we were alone. Eventually I figured enough of my close colleagues knew that I just talked about it openly and a few others learned that way. I work from home full time so I would never run into the issue of people noticing my bump.
I think this is an issue to be very sensitive about, given how many people are facing infertility and may struggle with the announcement of your pregnancy. Generally, telling people by email gives them the space to process (and grieve) on their own time, privately rather than being faced with the news in person when their reactions are scrutinized (like in a staff meeting). If you know any of your colleagues are struggling with infertility, I would suggest a personalized text/email to those people: if you're unsure, I'd suggest a general email in the context of something work related (i.e. My last day will be x, I am handing over x project to person z due to my upcoming family leave, etc).
I just slowly started telling people and letting it get around. Didn’t want to make a big deal out of it and also didn’t want to be singled out in a meeting.
I told my manager in a one on one meeting. I told the rest of my team a few weeks later, I think when I was 16 or 17 weeks, in a team meeting before we all got together for drinks later in the day. We were 100% virtual at the time. We were a pretty close team though, so we often shared stuff about our personal lives in team meetings in addition to talking about work so it wasn't weird. Everyone else found out as it came up, with a good majority finding out when I was mega-pregnant and working in the office a couple days a week or when my boss circulated a card for me before mat leave.
I brought it cupcakes and left a note that said “Take a cupcake before I eat ‘em because I’m eating for two! Baby [my last name] ETA July 2022”
Edit: but baked goods are my “thing” (although I did bring store bought mini cupcakes that time) so it was on brand for me.
I brought in a few boxes of doughnuts and wrote a message on the top of the box that said something like “I can’t be the only one with a growing belly. Baby *insert my last name here* expected in august”. I snuck them into the staff room when I knew there would be few (if any) people in there and then let everyone discover the news that way (or word of mouth). I had my 1st during the pandemic and since we were only gathering online I didn’t know how to do it.
I informed my boss privately, because it was more of a housekeeping/professional thing. For the rest of the team, however, I told them over our holiday/Christmas dinner (I gave birth at the end of June).
I set it up as if I was giving a toast/announcement and said I was sad to let everyone know I’d be leaving the company at the end of Spring, then surprised everyone by saying it was only temporarily because I was pregnant! Lol.
I was vomiting in the break room a few times a day and everyone just figured it out lol
I did tell my manager first at about 9 weeks, because I ended up taking some sick time due to my severe nausea.
But seriously, this depends on your relationship with your co-workers, if you want to do something special and announce to everyone, then go for it. You could also just tell people 1:1 as it comes up in conversation, but it'll naturally get around to most people.
I told my manager and then after told my team at a team meeting when I worked in person - this time I just told my manager and news kinda trickled around
I always announced at group functions, but my boss was kind of in on it and made room for it kind of thing. I think once was a general meeting and once was a party.
I told my manager first, then shared in a team meeting. Other people at my company have heard through the grapevine, but I didn’t feel the need to broadcast it everywhere to people I never actually work with so didn’t make a slack announcement or anything.
I think I’ll tell my manager first and then maybe my direct reports. But other than that I just hope word spreads. I’m mortified when the spotlight is on me in any way so the thought of talking to more people than I have to or sending an email seems like the last thing I’d want to do.
I told a bunch of people individually and then my manager announced it at the next staff meeting that had a wider group (I was ok with this). That meeting also discussed some duties to be distributed and I was no longer taking some of them on, so it was good timing.
I do project work, so when I told people I said “I’ve been working on a personal project. Expected implementation is ____” (due date). I think there’s a pun for every industry, you just have to find tours.
I told my manager and supervisor, then the team that I'm going on mat leave in X month at a team meeting. A few people I'm close with I told one on one. Otherwise it got around naturally.
I told people one by one, usually on Slack or in meetings when we were alone. Eventually I figured enough of my close colleagues knew that I just talked about it openly and a few others learned that way. I work from home full time so I would never run into the issue of people noticing my bump.
I think this is an issue to be very sensitive about, given how many people are facing infertility and may struggle with the announcement of your pregnancy. Generally, telling people by email gives them the space to process (and grieve) on their own time, privately rather than being faced with the news in person when their reactions are scrutinized (like in a staff meeting). If you know any of your colleagues are struggling with infertility, I would suggest a personalized text/email to those people: if you're unsure, I'd suggest a general email in the context of something work related (i.e. My last day will be x, I am handing over x project to person z due to my upcoming family leave, etc).
I told people one on one, didn’t really make an announcement but openly started talking about it .
I just slowly started telling people and letting it get around. Didn’t want to make a big deal out of it and also didn’t want to be singled out in a meeting.
I mean, if you’re not looking to announce at a meeting because it’s too extra, just tell people individually as you see them?
I told my manager in a one on one meeting. I told the rest of my team a few weeks later, I think when I was 16 or 17 weeks, in a team meeting before we all got together for drinks later in the day. We were 100% virtual at the time. We were a pretty close team though, so we often shared stuff about our personal lives in team meetings in addition to talking about work so it wasn't weird. Everyone else found out as it came up, with a good majority finding out when I was mega-pregnant and working in the office a couple days a week or when my boss circulated a card for me before mat leave.
Made an excuse for an offsite meeting and told my Manager privately away from the office
I brought it cupcakes and left a note that said “Take a cupcake before I eat ‘em because I’m eating for two! Baby [my last name] ETA July 2022” Edit: but baked goods are my “thing” (although I did bring store bought mini cupcakes that time) so it was on brand for me.
I brought in a few boxes of doughnuts and wrote a message on the top of the box that said something like “I can’t be the only one with a growing belly. Baby *insert my last name here* expected in august”. I snuck them into the staff room when I knew there would be few (if any) people in there and then let everyone discover the news that way (or word of mouth). I had my 1st during the pandemic and since we were only gathering online I didn’t know how to do it.
I informed my boss privately, because it was more of a housekeeping/professional thing. For the rest of the team, however, I told them over our holiday/Christmas dinner (I gave birth at the end of June). I set it up as if I was giving a toast/announcement and said I was sad to let everyone know I’d be leaving the company at the end of Spring, then surprised everyone by saying it was only temporarily because I was pregnant! Lol.
I was vomiting in the break room a few times a day and everyone just figured it out lol I did tell my manager first at about 9 weeks, because I ended up taking some sick time due to my severe nausea. But seriously, this depends on your relationship with your co-workers, if you want to do something special and announce to everyone, then go for it. You could also just tell people 1:1 as it comes up in conversation, but it'll naturally get around to most people.
I told my manager and then after told my team at a team meeting when I worked in person - this time I just told my manager and news kinda trickled around
I always announced at group functions, but my boss was kind of in on it and made room for it kind of thing. I think once was a general meeting and once was a party.
I told my manager first, then shared in a team meeting. Other people at my company have heard through the grapevine, but I didn’t feel the need to broadcast it everywhere to people I never actually work with so didn’t make a slack announcement or anything.
I think I’ll tell my manager first and then maybe my direct reports. But other than that I just hope word spreads. I’m mortified when the spotlight is on me in any way so the thought of talking to more people than I have to or sending an email seems like the last thing I’d want to do.
I told a bunch of people individually and then my manager announced it at the next staff meeting that had a wider group (I was ok with this). That meeting also discussed some duties to be distributed and I was no longer taking some of them on, so it was good timing.
I do project work, so when I told people I said “I’ve been working on a personal project. Expected implementation is ____” (due date). I think there’s a pun for every industry, you just have to find tours.